A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for generating electricity. More particularly, the present invention relates to such apparatuses and systems which utilize batteries, hydraulic motors, inverters and pressurized air to generate electricity, specially for use at or near where the electricity is produced. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to such apparatuses and systems which utilize a specially configured air tank to pressurize air to power a hydraulic motor to generate electricity.
B. Background
Apparatuses and systems for converting a source of energy to useful power for generating electricity have been generally available for many years. A common arrangement for generating electricity is a large power plant that delivers the produced electricity to the end user over long distance transmission lines. As is commonly known, such power plants are very complicated and very expensive, requiring large capital investment in the power plant and the transmission lines. Presently, most large power plants rely on traditional sources of energy, such as oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, stored water and the like to produce electricity. There is a strong effort to provide alternative apparatuses and systems to power machines, particularly generators for producing electricity, that utilize energy sources which have less environmental impact, generally by being more readily available, cleaner and, preferably, renewable. For instance, many people and organizations have been attempting to utilize wind, solar, tidal and geothermal resources as a source of power to operate generators for the production of electricity. Although such sources of energy have been well known and, to some extent, in use for many years, it has only been relatively recent that substantially increased efforts have been directed towards improving the efficiency of these energy systems so they may be capable of generating more electricity. Currently, such alternative energy systems are a relatively small percentage of the total electricity production.
In general, the increased push for apparatuses and systems that generate electricity without utilizing conventional, non-renewable and polluting energy sources, particularly hydrocarbon fuels, is a direct result of the known limited supply of these energy sources and the negative impact the use of such sources has had on the environment. Unfortunately, at the same time that the supplies of conventional sources of energy have become scarcer and the impacts of such sources have become more well known, the demand for electricity has substantially increased. The increase in demand is driven by a number of factors, including but not limited to the expansion in the number of devices that are powered by electricity, such as computers, air conditioning, audio systems, kitchen appliances and a vast number of other devices, and the rapid expansion in the number of people who have the desire and access to such devices. In fact, as an example, many people desire to make telephones, computers and other electronic devices more widely available to others and to replace dirty burning machines, including hydrocarbon fuel-based vehicles, with machines powered by electricity. While such goals are generally laudable, an unintended consequence of increasing the availability of electronic devices and producing electricity-based vehicles is a substantial increase in the demand for electricity. The increase in demand for electricity will have to be supplied by those apparatuses and systems that are available, which, at least presently, primarily rely on hydrocarbon-based fuels to provide the necessary power. As the need for electricity increases, the supply of fossil fuels to produce electricity is further reduced, the environmental impacts of these fuels worsen and the cost of using electricity increases. Even though the cost of electricity is anticipated to rise and there may be availability problems, most experts expect that the demand for electricity will substantially increase during the foreseeable future. In fact, consumers generally expect that electricity will be available to them when they need it, whether to operate an appliance, energize a light source or drive a machine.
Although electricity is generally produced and provided to the public by large power plants, there is often a need for localized production of electricity for use at or very near the location where it is produced. One advantage of such electricity production is that it eliminates the requirement to transmit the electrical power over long distances, thereby substantially eliminating the cost to build such long distance transmission lines, the cost of acquiring the right-of-way for the land and the use of the land to support those lines. For areas that are somewhat off of the normal power grid, the cost of building the necessary transmission lines and the cost to maintain those lines can be significant. To be effective, however, a localized electricity producing apparatus and system must be of sufficient size to supply the needed amount of electricity and must be able to reliably supply that electricity. Presently, relatively small generators and systems that for localized production of electricity are generally not available and are not well accepted by those who could otherwise benefit from such apparatuses and systems.
Localized production of electricity is somewhat epitomized by the use of portable generators, such as the type commonly utilized to power construction sites and other locations where electrical power may not otherwise be available or connected and to provide emergency power in case of loss of the traditional electrical power supply. The typical portable generator utilizes gasoline, diesel, propane or other hydrocarbon-based fuel, in part due to the ease of availability for such fuels, to operate the machinery that produces the electricity. Unfortunately, in addition to their reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, these generators are well known for being loud and for producing smoke or other air-borne waste, thereby contributing to localized noise and air pollution.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved apparatus and system for producing power to generate electricity. A preferred electrical power generation apparatus and system is one which effectively and efficiently produces the desired amount of electricity and is particularly suitable for localized use of such electricity. Preferably, a new electrical power generating apparatus and system should produce electricity without using non-renewable sources of energy, such as fossil fuels or the like, should produce relatively little or no air pollution and be relatively quiet. A preferred electrical power generating apparatus and system is one which is relatively simple to use and reliable.